For weeks there have been rumours of squad discontent and division. When the Matildas played a double header against Brazil this month, the headlines were dominated by reports of a “mutiny” against coach Hesterine de Reus. Now it's official – De Reus is gone, and Alen Stajcic is the new interim coach. Less than a month out from their defence of the Asian Cup in Vietnam, the Matildas' preparations are in turmoil.

De Reus was up against it from the beginning. When Tom Sermanni, the godfather of the women's game in Australia for so many years, was headhunted by the United States national team in 2012, many of the Matildas players sent a letter to the FFA requesting that their next appointment be based on ability, not gender.

But De Reus ticked all the right boxes. A veteran of the women's game, she is a highly competent and qualified coach. Her appointment in late 2012 made history as she became the first female coach of the Matildas. Last September De Reus told me she was “surprised” by the letter.

“I also thought, it’s not a nice way to start, to start with a fight as I did my whole career”, De Reus said. “I didn’t expect to have to fight for my position in a national team that was highly ranked, and in an open-minded country.”

Gender is not the story here, but this letter illustrated another layer of complexity in women's football, and the culture that she sought to change. After playing and coaching for decades in Europe, De Reus was determined to create a more professional environment in the Matildas camp.

She wasn't here to make friends. She was tough, outspoken and abrupt, a trait we’ve seen from Dutch coaches before in the men’s game. Perhaps she pushed for too much too soon, from both the players and the federation. She wanted deeper investment and better outcomes for the women’s game. Matildas still get paid a pittance for their labour, so "professionalism" is always a more complicated issue than it first appears.

Several players were unhappy with the Matildas set-up, and at the centre of this were those who had been under pressure for places in the starting line-up. Many of these players are delegates of the Professional Footballers Association. Indeed, the PFA has been deeply involved in the dispute. On Friday it put out a statement noting that members of the Matildas “have professionally and discretely raised with the PFA a number of important issues”. The “worrying workplace practices” listed are just the beginning.

Wages have been a point of contention under the new collective bargaining agreement. It is alleged that several players were paid outside the agreed base salary, which caused some friction. The PFA also pointed to “intimation of non-selection if players take overseas contracts”, which is a serious matter for players who cannot earn a decent wage playing solely in Australia.

De Reus herself has been critical of the short W-League season, which lasts only12 rounds excluding finals. Reports of players being in lockdown in camp and prevented from seeing their parents during the Cyprus Cup in March suggested poor communication between players, senior staff and coach.

Several former players have been critical of the Matildas on Twitter, including Julie Dolan and Joey Peters, with some columnists suggesting “generations past have had it much tougher”. While that is undoubtedly true, it is questionable whether the current bunch need to internalise the sacrifices of previous generations.

For the squad, the timing of the decision is far from ideal. The Asian Cup should be their focus, and this will inevitably become a distraction. Moreover, the FFA will have to pay out De Reus's contract. It is bad PR for a team that receives precious little media coverage.

De Reus's appointment was backed by the FFA board member Moya Dodd and the national technical director, Han Berger. After the vote of no-confidence by the players earlier this month, a review was commissioned by the FFA. On Thursday, FFA chief executive David Gallop said the outcome of that review was that “a change in coaches was in best interests of the Matildas program”.

Stajcic has been coach of Sydney FC's W-League side since 2008, as well as the Young Matildas, and comes into the job with an excellent pedigree. The Matildas squad is heavily based on players from Brisbane Roar, which has an intense rivalry with Sydney FC. In 2012 Stajcic was sent off in a heated incident during a semi-final between the two clubs. We will have to see what influence this has, if any, on the composition of the squad for the Asian Cup.

A full review will be undertaken after the tournament to appoint a new coach, and Stajcic will no doubt covet the role. In an ironic twist, Sermanni was controversially sacked from his position as coach of the US national team just as pressure began to mount on De Reus in Australia. Gallop told the media it was “coincidence only”.

In contrast to De Reus, Sermanni has been accused of being was too “laid back”. An indication, perhaps, of the cultural changes De Reus tried to instill. Sermanni has coached the Matildas in two spells, and a third stint looks unlikely. In the meantime, fans will wonder if this is a new dawn for player power in the Matildas camp.